Decoy Apparatus

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a decoy apparatus comprising: a motor unit securely connected to a base, at least one wing member operatively connected to said motor so as to be rotated by the motor when the motor is engaged, a power source to operate said motor, and a shell that mimics the look of an avian animal that can be incorporated with the motor so as to cause the rotating wing members to appear as if they were the wings of the avian animal. In alternate embodiments, the motor is encased in a motor housing that defines a structure and the shell is a soft body in the shape of an bird with a cavity that is substantially to the size and shape of at least the top of the motor housing such that at least a portion of the motor housing is capable of being inserted into the decoy body, filling a portion of the cavity.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/444,976, entitled Decoy Apparatus, filed on Jan. 11, 2017.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM

Not Applicable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale;instead, emphasis has been placed upon illustrating the principles ofthe invention. In addition, in the embodiments depicted herein, likereference numerals in the various drawings refer to identical or nearidentical structural elements.

FIG. 1 depicts a fully assembled embodiment of the decoy apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the motor housing unit with the decoybody and one wing member removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the motor housing unit with the portionof the housing unit removed to show the interior components.

FIG. 4 is a different angle of the image in FIG. 3 to show the base ofthe housing unit.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the decoy in FIG. 1 with a wing removedand the battery pack ejected from the housing unit to show the batteryslot.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 to show the drive shaft stickingthrough the aperture in the decoy body to which the wing member isattached.

FIG. 7 is a zoomed in view of a connected wing member going into thedecoy body.

FIG. 8 depicts the decoy-housing fastener, which helps fasten the decoybody to the motor housing unit.

FIG. 9 depicts the feet embellishments.

FIGS. 10-12 depict various angles of the decoy body with additionalcomponents removed therefrom.

FIG. 13 depicts the base support in the form of a pole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Outdoor enthusiasts, recreational hunters, and photographers have longrecognized that live animals and game, and particularly live waterfowl,are attracted to areas that appear to be inhabited by similar animals.For this reason, people have used decoys, which may refer to artificialanimals, to attract live game to within shooting distance of a hunter'srifle, shotgun or other weapon, and within prime viewing distance ofphotographers and other outdoor enthusiasts such as bird watchers.

Although the term “game” is used herein to describe the animal intendedto be attracted or repelled by the decoy (depending on the usage), it isunderstood that this is not meant to limit the usage to the huntingapplication as numerous uses are conceived. Conventional decoys havelimited success as game, particularly avian game and waterfowls, havebecome decoy-wise. Migratory birds for example have terrific eye sightat long distances, especially when it comes to the sighing of motion.Traditional, stationary decoys may give the appearance of birds sittingon the water, but they are not particularly noticeable on their own fromthe perspective of a flying animal at a distance. However, it has beennoticed that game animals can see the flashes of a feeding flock ofbirds from great distances. Therefore, hunters have created and usedmotion decoys such as those set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,508,028 and6,079,140, and which are incorporated herein by reference, to attractgame to a prime shooting location. While the motion decoys haveexperienced wild success in the past, they are not without their owndeficiencies. These noticeable and consistent deficiencies evidenced bymotion decoys on the market have yet again allowed game animals tobecome “decoy-wise.” For example, while the spinning wing decoys havehad historical success, the configuration of these decoys has, untilnow, caused the decoys to exhibit unnatural vibrations and excessivenoise which animals have learned to recognize. Many of the deficiencieswere caused by the general configuration of the decoys as the mechanicalcomponents were often mounted to the decoy body itself.

The deficiencies also extend beyond the learning curve of game animals.Practically speaking, motion decoys are expensive and are generallylimited to a single use in the sense that each decoy is limited to asingle type of animal. Additionally, the configuration of conventionalmotion decoys renders it difficult to switch out power packs in thefield and provides minimal waterproof or weatherproof protection to theelectronics.

A decoy device is provided herein which aims to provide the motioncapabilities desired in spinning wing decoys, while solving one or moreof the deficiencies by completely redesigning the decoy such that themotor unit is securely connected to the support and building the decoyaround that secure connection. In one or more embodiments, at least themotor is securely attached to a support structure, thereby minimizingthe vibratory effects caused by the motor's operation. The presentinvention changes much of the design to mount the motor, and in someembodiments, the other mechanical and electrical components, in aspecially designed housing that not only holds these componentssecurely, but is connected itself directly to the base support system,thereby producing a motion device entirely independent of the animalshaped decoy body. The housing is designed such that the exterior fitssnugly into a portion of a hollow, flexible body style of choice.Therefore, in alternate embodiments, one or more removable skins in theshape and look of an animal is employed that can be removably attachedto the mechanical spinning wing means, thereby allowing the mechanism tobe retrofitted to mimic different animals depending on the intended use.In yet additional embodiments, various wing members can be switched outdepending on the intended usage or to match the skin then in use. Thisconfiguration produces a smoother, quieter apparatus that can turn thewing members using less power consumption in order to create a morerealistic and more adaptive decoy apparatus.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a decoy apparatus incorporating aunique combination of structural elements which cooperate in a uniquemanner to provide a highly effective attractant to avian animals, suchas waterfowls, dove, quail and other like animals. The apparatusprovides for positioning of the decoy per se on or above the surface ofa body of water so that damage to the decoy housing and mechanismemployed therein is minimized. The animation of the decoy provides adisplay which attracts waterfowl to the location of the apparatus, thedisplay being caused by rotating one or more wing members which ispowered by an electric motor.

As previously indicated, the present invention changes much of thedesign of traditional motion decoys to mount the motor, and in someembodiments, the other mechanical and electrical components, in aspecially designed housing that not only holds these componentssecurely, but is connected itself directly to the base support system,thereby producing a motion device entirely independent of the animalshaped decoy body. In such embodiments, the housing is designed suchthat the exterior fits snugly into a portion of a hollow, flexible bodystyle of choice.

In land based use, the positioning of the decoy may remain elevated soas to allow for easier spotting by avian animals or otherwise positionedon the ground in a matter to provide clearance so that the wings canrotate without interference from the ground or other external surfaces.

In one or more embodiments, the decoy apparatus comprises a bodysubstantially in the shape of at least a portion of an avian animal. Ina related embodiment, the decoy apparatus comprises the shape and lookof a waterfowl, such as a duck.

In a preferred embodiment, the motor is securely connected to anexternal base to counteract the vibration effect caused by the motor'sfunction, thereby minimizing any unnatural movements caused by thedecoy's vibration. This connection, in various embodiments, may eitherbe through direct connection of the motor to the base or indirectconnection such as through an intermediary component.

It is preferable in some applications that the electronic components beshielded from the elements. In one or more embodiments, at least one ofthe electrical components, which may include the motor, power supply,electronic actuators, receivers, transmitters, and connecting wiring,may be partially or fully housed in a housing unit. In alternateembodiments, the housing may be a fully enclosed housing and in others,the housing may merely act as a partial shield to one or moreenvironmental factors. In one or more embodiments, the motor is housedwithin a substantially weatherproof housing. In alternate embodiments,the housing may be substantially waterproof. In such embodiments, themotor is preferably securely housed within the housing and the housingsecurely connects the motor to a base support.

In some embodiments, the motor may be connected to the base via amounting bracket or other intermediary component or adapter. Thecomponent or adapter may form part of the motor housing or may be usedin lieu of the housing unit depending on the embodiment.

The decoy apparatus 0 may have at least one wing member residingexternal to the motor housing with a component projecting into thehousing that is operatively coupled to the motor such as through themotor's drive shaft to allow the motor to rotate the one or more wingmembers. In a related embodiment, the motor housing may have two wingmembers on opposing sides of the housing that each project into thehousing, wherein each wing member is operatively coupled to the one ormore motors such that the one or more motors can rotate the wing memberseither independently or concurrently. In yet further relatedembodiments, one or more wing members can be operatively connected tothe motor or motor drive shaft through the one or more wing attachmentmembers or adapter pieces such as drive shaft adapter 8.

In one embodiment, the decoy apparatus will comprise a pair oflongitudinally extended, rotatable wings, said wings being substantiallyflat in their entirety and each having a terminating, distal wing tipopposed to that on the other wing, with one of said wings on one side ofsaid body and the other of said wings on the other side of said body,said wings extending laterally out and away from said body, eachterminating in a respective distal wing tip and devoid of any supportingrestraint at said distal wing tip, each of said wings being directlyattached to a separate wing shaft laterally disposed with respect tosaid body and extending along a longitudinal axis, said wing shafts notextending beyond said distal wing tips. In other embodiments, the wingmembers may not be flat, but may be contoured, such as a bowed orsemi-helical shape.

The decoy body may be in the shape of an avian animal. In alternateembodiments, the style, look, and/or shape of the decoy may match thelook of an avian animal, such as varying types of waterfowl, duck,goose, pigeon, quail, dove, song bird, wading bird, waterbird, predatorybird, heron, sea gull, swans, cranes, egrets, mergansers, loons,cormorants, turkey, shore birds, plume birds, or other animals of theClass Aves. To accomplish this look, the decoy body may have a bodysection, a tail section, and a head component opposing the tail section.The decoy body may have features that assist in creating a realisticlook, such as, but not limited to feather features, feet, a head, wings,and a paint scheme to match the look of the intended animal.

The decoy body may be substantially hollow in at least one portionthereby defining a cavity. In a preferred embodiment, the cavity, or aportion thereof, will substantially correspond in shape and size to theshape of the housing unit such that at least a portion of the housingunit can be inserted into the cavity defined by the decoy body. In oneor more embodiments, the housing unit may provide structural support forthe decoy body when inserted into the cavity. In a preferred embodiment,the motor housing and decoy body cavity will be shaped and sized suchthat the decoy body will fit snugly around at least a portion of themotor housing.

The decoy body may comprise openings or apertures at or near thelocation where the wing members will project outwards from the housingunit so that the decoy body does not interfere with the rotation of thewing members when the motor is activated. In alternate embodiments, thehousing unit may comprise a protruding wall surrounding the connectionports for each wing member, and the decoy body comprises an openingdiametrically larger than the protruding walls such that the wallsprotrude through the apertures in the decoy body thereby securing it inplace. In one or more embodiments, the decoy body may be socketed aroundthe protruding walls. Additional securing means such as a threaded capto correspond with threading on the walls, or a raised reel or ridge maybe employed to secure the decoy body onto the housing unit at theconnector ports for the wing members.

The decoy body may be hard bodied or substantially soft bodied dependingon the embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, the body is formed out ofa flexible but resilient material. the decoy body may comprise a rubber,such as a roto-molded rubber or resin polymer. Additionally, the decoybody may be removably connected to the housing such that the decoy bodycan be removed and replaced with a different decoy body of the same ordifferent avian animal for further function. It is likely that the decoybody will exhibit the most wear and tear as it is an external layersubjected to the elements. Therefore, the interchangeability can allowan older, worn out decoy body to be replaced or to switch another decoybody of a different animal or coloration to change the intended game orfunction.

The support base to which the motor is mounted may come in many formsdepending on the intended usage. The base may comprise a pole structure,a structural rod, a float, a buoy, a wire hang, a chord, or otherstructural supports. For example, in a marsh environment, the base maybe a structural rod inserted into the ground, a floating structure, oranother external support such as a tree limb. In other applications suchas a predatory bird to scare rodents out of a barn may see a rafteremployed as the base.

In a preferred embodiment, the motor is powered by a rechargeablebattery, although various power sources are contemplated. In embodimentsthat are intended for use in remote locations, such as the marsh forhunting, a battery that is interchangeable may be desired.

In another preferred embodiment, the decoy apparatus comprises atransceiver that allows the motor to be remotely controlled with aremote. It is preferred that the transceiver would be housed within thehousing unit.

In another preferred embodiment, the motor is a double shaft, directdrive, DC, electric motor located in and mounted to the motor housingunit, and having two, opposed ends, each of said opposed ends having acentrally-located drive end shaft extending laterally out each end ofsaid motor, wherein each of said drive end shafts is inserted directlyinto a respective said wing shaft and coupled thereto, wherein saidmotor provides common rotation together, said wings being solelysupported off said decoy body by their respective wing shafts coupled totheir respective motor drive end shafts, said wings being devoid of anyother connections to said body and being solely supported by said motoronto said body.

The motor preferably is capable of a steady rotational rate of 300-1200rpms (revolutions per minute).

The power supply is a battery in numerous embodiments. It can be chosenfrom a battery known in the art from 6 volts to 24 volts.

DISCLOSURE

The subject matter of the present invention is described withspecificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, thedescription itself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope ofclaims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be embodied in otherways to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to theones described in this document, in conjunction with other present orfuture technologies. Furthermore, the described features, structures, orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments unless otherwise noted. In the following description,numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of aviananimals, motors, wing members, and connection devices or means. Oneskilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the disclosedDecoy Apparatus may be practiced without one or more of the specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. Inother instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are notshown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of theinvention.

For illustrative purposes only, a decoy apparatus 0 is described hereincomprising, in general, a decoy body 1 substantially in the shape of anavian animal or at least a portion of an animal's body, an electricmotor 11, a power unit 10, a housing unit 3 which houses said motor andpower unit (i.e., a battery), and a pair of wing members 2 a,b that areoperatively coupled to opposing sides of the motor 11 such that themotor can controllably manipulate the wing members residing exterior tothe decoy body 1.

Working from the inside out, the apparatus revolves around an electricmotor 11 that is capable of operatively manipulating at least onecomponent of the apparatus to give the appearance of a moving animal. Inthe depicted embodiment, the motor is operatively connected to at leastone, preferably two, opposing wing members 2 a,b. As depicted, the motoris configured to rotate the wing members 2 a,b in the same direction,although different configurations are possible. For example, the motormay be able to cause a different motion such as flapping maneuvers, orthe moving component may be located in the tail or front region of thedecoy body. Rotatable or spinning wing decoys are a good example of thisinvention as they have been known in the industry for some time.However, they have, until now, suffered a great defect in that themotors were historically housed on the upper portions of the decoy bodyseparated from the decoy's base support. This support is typically inthe form of an external rod that elevates the decoy from the marsh waterin the case of a waterfowl decoy. This causes an unnatural wag orvibration to be evidenced in the decoy, which has always plagued thosetypes of decoys.

The instant motion decoy has been reimagined in a wholly differentconfiguration wherein at least the motor 11 is operatively mounted tosupport base 4 so that motor can transfer the vibratory effect caused bythe motor's operation to the support base, thereby allowing the base todamper that vibratory effect. This allows a smooth, more natural lookingoperation. As such, the decoy apparatus 0 is configured around the motor11 and motor housing unit 3 to damper the vibratory energy and channelsthat energy directly to the support base 4.

To accomplish this, the motor can, but does not necessarily need to beconnected directly to base support. As depicted, the motor 11 issecurely housed within housing unit 3. In this embodiment, the housingunit 3 is designed to perform two key functions: (1) to house andsafeguard the electronic components and (2) to provide the supportstructure of the decoy. Decoys are often subject to the elements;therefore, it is preferable that the housing unit be substantiallyweatherproof and/or waterproof, although this is not required for allapplications. Housing unit 3 comprises an enclosure formed from ahardened shell that is sized to house the motor 11, any electronic chipsor actuators (not depicted), and the power unit 10.

Structurally, the shell of the housing unit 3 comprises four side wallsconnected by a top and a bottom to form a solid unit. It is preferablethat the contents of the housing unit be accessible; therefore, eitherthe top, bottom, or one of the side walls may be removable, eitherwholly or in part, although various other configurations are envisionedto access the interior chamber defined by the housing unit. For example,one or more of the side walls may be partially removable via an accessdoor. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2-4, the housing unit isseparated into a top and bottom portion that removably mate with eachother to form a solid unit and are secured by releasable fasteners 9,such as screws or clips, although a non-mechanical fitting, such aspressure fitting, may be employed. The portions can be detached fromeach other to access the electronics contained therein and mated to formthe enclosed housing unit 3 in order to protect the electronics from theelements.

Turning to FIG. 5, the embodiment is shown with the power unit 10removed. A removable or interchangeable battery provides substantialbenefit that would be obvious to one in the art. However, those withskill in the art would likewise recognize that this would necessitatethe housing have an opening to accommodate the battery. This openingexposes the inside chamber of the housing to the elements. To balancemaximum protection, and thus longevity, of the key electronic componentswith the ability to use a removable and interchangeable power supply,the depicted housing unit 3 houses the power unit 10 in battery port orslot 15, which is a bay that is separated from the other electroniccomponents by a wall. Battery port of slot 15 is substantiallywaterproof; therefore, even if water enters battery port or slot 15, itwill be prevented from seeping into housing unit 3 and the electroniccomponents contained therein. Power unit 10 has a hard exterior shell orcover 13 to protect it from damage. Depicted shell or cover 13 is madeout of the same materials as the housing unit 3 for uniformity, althoughthis is not necessary.

As will be explained below, the depicted decoy apparatus 0 is designedso that the decoy body 1 slides over and onto the housing unit 3;therefore, it is desirable that the power unit 10 and actuator on/offswitch 24 be located in the bottom of the housing unit so that a usercan access both without having to greatly manipulate the decoy.Likewise, in applications where the decoy power source is rechargeable,a charging port 23 may be installed directly into the exterior of thehousing unit 3 that is in electronic communication with the rechargeablepower source.

Two wing openings 5 are formed in the housing unit 4, one on each of twoopposing side walls, to allow for the wing members 2 a,b to beoperatively connected to the motor 11 to allow for rotation. In one ormore embodiments, the decoy apparatus may further comprises atransceiver. The transceiver allows the motor 11 to be actuated remotelythrough a remote in electronic communication with the transceiver. Inthis embodiment, it is preferred that the transceiver would be housedwithin the housing unit.

The motor rotates drive shaft 14, which extends outwards from the motor11. In the preferred embodiment depicted, drive shaft 14 extends fromthe motor on two opposing sides. Drive shaft 14 extends outwards fromthe motor, through the wing openings 5 to a terminating point. Wingmembers 2 a,b are connected to the external, terminating end of thedrive shaft 14 opposite the motor. It is preferred that the drive shaftbe of substantial length to allow the wing member 2 a,b, to rotatewithout contacting the housing unit 3 and, in this embodiment, the decoybody 1 which will be placed over the housing unit. Wing openings 5 arefurther defined by cylindrical walls, wing orifice lip fastener 6, thatprotrude from the housing unit 3. When the decoy body 1 is placed on thehousing unit 3, the wing orifice lip fasteners 6, will line up with andmate with openings in the decoy apparatus to help secure the decoyapparatus to the housing unit.

The decoy body 1 is a rigid but flexible structure that externally issubstantially in the shape of an avian animal (i.e., a bird). Asdepicted, the decoy body resembles the look of a waterfowl. The decoybody comprises a top section 1 a, side walls 1 b extending downward fromtop section, and a tail section 1 c connected to the back end of the topsection 1 a and a head section 1 d. The decoy body 1 may furthercomprise additional components such as feet 20 to help create the lookof a live animal. The feet may be connected to the decoy body 1 in anysuitable manner. As depicted, the feet comprise a foot connector 21 thatmay be inserted into a corresponding opening on the decoy body 1, whichallows the feet to hang in a realistic manner.

The decoy body 1 comprises a shell or skin that defines a cavity 22shaped to accommodate at least a portion of the housing unit 3. Inembodiments where the decoy body is soft bodied, such as a roto-moldedskin, the user will deform the body to open the cavity, thereby allowingthe user to slide the decoy body over the top of the housing unit anddown to cover at least a portion of the housing unit, if notsubstantially all of it. The decoy body has side apertures or slots thatcorrespond with the wing orifice lip fasteners 6, the protruding wallssurrounding the side wall slots on the housing unit. The decoy body ismanipulated to line up the apertures in the decoy body with theprotruding walls and then released so that it returns to its restingstate (i.e., natural form) with the wing orifice lip fasteners 6extending through the decoy body 1 to help fasten and secure the decoybody 1 in place around the housing unit 4. In alternate embodiments, theprotruding walls may have a further securing means such as a raisedridge that would catch the decoy side wall, preventing it fromdisengaging. In yet alternate embodiments, the protruding walls may beexternally threaded and an internally threaded circular cap can besecured around the walls once the decoy body is in place. The depictedhousing unit 3 comprises contours 12 which help facilitate the fit andgrip of the decoy body 1 onto the housing unit 3.

With the decoy body substantially covering the housing unit, the decoyis mostly constructed. To further secure the decoy body 1 in place, adecoy body fastener 19 can be snapped into and around the bottom of theunit by placing fastener clips 19 a into the fastener slots 18. Doing sowill pinch the decoy body to the housing unit and covering the seambetween the two. It should also be noted that while the decoy body'sprimary function is to provide the appearance of the intended animal,the body also acts to further waterproof the housing by preventing waterfrom contacting or pooling on its surfaces. By sealing the seam, thedecoy body will be able to better prevent seepage of water into thedecoy.

It should be understood that a hard bodied or permanently attached decoybody can be employed. However, an advantage of the removable, soft bodydecoy is that the user can switch different decoy bodies (or skins) tosuit the particular need of the hunt or observation activity withouthaving to purchase multiple motor apparatuses, which is the most costlycomponent of the decoy to create.

Each wing member 2 a,b is an elongated structure substantially in theshape of an intended bird's wing. They may be made of numerous materialsand may either be flat pieces or contoured, such as semi-helicalstructures, to help catch the wind. It is preferable that the wings havevarying colorations such that light will strike the wing while it is inmotion, creating the look of a flash which can be seen by the intendedanimal(s). The wing member has two ends: a base end wherein the wingmember comprises wing connector with a magnetic fastener and a distalend that is the outermost tip. On the base end, the wing memberscomprise a wing connector which is a magnetic connector as is known inthe art. The wing connectors are attachable and detachable to allow forthe housing unit to be inserted into the decoy body, to allow for easeof storage, and to allow a user to change out or replace different wingsdepending on the intended use.

The housing unit 3 is designed to securely fasten the motor to thesupport base 4. The depicted support base 4 is a pole member with aconnector 4 a on one end, a wedge 4 d on the opposing side, and apushing handle 4 c, as has been used in the art. The depicted embodimentshows a two-piece pole that is connected by attachment piece 4 b. Thebase of the housing unit comprises a base slot 17 into which a basesupport connector 16 is positioned. The base support connector socketsinto the support base pole 4, wherein it is fastened by base poleconnector 4 a. It is preferred that the base support member ispositioned in relation to the motor such that the motor will be securelyconnected to the base support when the housing unit is mounted thereto.

For the purpose of understanding the Decoy Apparatus, references aremade in the text to exemplary embodiments of a Decoy Apparatus, onlysome of which are described herein. It should be understood that nolimitations on the scope of the invention are intended by describingthese exemplary embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art willreadily appreciate that alternate but functionally equivalentcomponents, materials, designs, and equipment may be used. The inclusionof additional elements may be deemed readily apparent and obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art. Specific elements disclosed herein are notto be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims andas a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the artto employ the present invention.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, orsimilar language does not imply that all of the features and advantagesthat may be realized should be or are in any single embodiment. Rather,language referring to the features and advantages is understood to meanthat a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described inconnection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment.Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language,throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Oneskilled in the relevant art will recognize that the Decoy Apparatus maybe practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantagesof a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features andadvantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not bepresent in all embodiments.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughoutthis specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the sameembodiment.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale;instead, emphasis has been placed upon illustrating the principles ofthe invention. In addition, in the embodiments depicted herein, likereference numerals in the various drawings refer to identical or nearidentical structural elements.

Moreover, the terms “substantially” or “approximately” as used hereinmay be applied to modify any quantitative representation that couldpermissibly vary without resulting in a change to the basic function towhich it is related.

I claim:
 1. A decoy apparatus comprising: a. a decoy body substantiallyin the shape of at least a portion of an avian animal; b. a motor housedwithin the decoy body; c. at least one wing member operatively connectedto said motor so as to rotate when the motor is on; and d. a basesupport; wherein the motor is securely mounted to the base support andwherein the at least one wing member rests in a location on the decoybody substantially where the avian animal's wing would rest.
 2. Thedecoy apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor is at least partiallyencased by a housing unit, wherein the motor is securely attached to thehousing unit and the housing unit is securely connected to base supportin a manner so as to minimize the amount of vibration transferred fromthe motor to the rest of the decoy apparatus during operation.
 3. Thedecoy apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor is securely connected tothe base support by a mounting bracket in a manner so as to minimize theamount of vibration transferred from the motor to the rest of the decoyapparatus during operation.
 4. The decoy apparatus of claim 2 whereineach at least one wing member extends beyond the decoy body.
 5. Thedecoy apparatus of claim 4 wherein the decoy body comprises at least oneaperture that corresponds with the location of each at least one wingmember such that each at least one wing member is located substantiallyexternal to the decoy body, but connected to the motor through aconnection means that traverses through the corresponding aperture. 6.The decoy apparatus of claim 5 wherein the housing unit furthercomprises a pair of connector members, each extending outwards from anopposite side wall of the housing unit such that when the decoy body islowered onto the housing unit, the connector members extend through therespective apertures to help secure the decoy body in place.
 7. Thedecoy apparatus of claim 6 wherein each connector member is externallythreaded and an internally threaded cap is screwed onto each connectormember after the decoy body is attached to the housing unit to securethe decoy body to the housing unit.
 8. The decoy apparatus of claim 2wherein the decoy body comprises a flexible but resilient materialshaped to define an internal cavity, wherein at least a portion of thehousing unit corresponds in shape and size to the cavity such that thedecoy body can be placed around the portion of the housing unit.
 9. Thedecoy apparatus of claim 8 wherein the decoy body comprises a materialselected from the group comprising plastics, rubber, resin, or apolymer.
 10. The decoy apparatus of claim 1 further comprising atransceiver paired with a remote and a power supply, wherein the motoris connected to the power supply and transceiver, and wherein thetransceiver is operatively coupled to the motor and power supply toallow the remote to turn the motor on and off.
 11. The decoy apparatusof claim 1 wherein the motor is directly secured to the base support.12. A decoy apparatus comprising: a. a decoy body substantially in theshape of at least a portion of an avian animal comprising a shell and acavity defined by the shell; b. a motor located within a housing unit;c. at least one wing member exterior to said housing unit operativelyconnected to said motor through said housing unit so as to rotate whenthe motor is on; and d. a base support; wherein the motor is mounted tothe base support, at least a portion of the housing unit is shaped tocoincide with the shape of the cavity in the decoy body such that thehousing unit can be at least partially inserted into the cavity, and theat least one wing member resides exterior to the decoy body.
 13. Thedecoy apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the decoy body is removablyattached to the housing unit such that it can be replaced with a seconddecoy body.
 14. The decoy apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the motorcomprises a drive shaft extending outwards from the motor on twoopposing ends of the motor and a wing member is connected to each of thetwo external ends of the drive shaft such that the wing members can bemanipulated by the motor, causing the wing members to rotate.
 15. Thedecoy apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the wing members are connectedeither directly or indirectly to the drive shaft.
 16. The decoyapparatus as in claim 12 wherein the motor is either directly mounted tothe base support or indirectly mounted to the base support through anintermediary member in a manner so as to allow some of the vibratoryeffect of the motor's operation to be transferred to the base support.17. The decoy apparatus of claim 12 wherein the motor comprises a doubleshaft, direct drive, DC, electric motor located in and mounted on saidhousing unit and having two, opposed ends, each of said opposed endshaving a centrally-located drive end shaft extending laterally out eachend of said motor, wherein each of said drive end shafts is insertedinto a respective said wing member, either directly or through aconnector, and coupled thereto, wherein said motor provides commonrotation together, said wings being solely supported off said decoy bodyby their respective connections coupled to their respective motor driveend shafts, said wings being devoid of any other connections to saidbody and being solely supported by said motor onto said body.
 18. Thedecoy apparatus of claim 12 wherein the decoy body comprises a flexible,but resilient material that can be manipulated from its resting state topermit the entering of the housing unit into the cavity, but willsubstantially return to its resting state when no longer acted upon. 19.A method of using a decoy comprising the steps of: a. providing ahousing unit containing at least a motor and a power unit, b. mounting adecoy body that defines a cavity onto the housing unit such that atleast a portion of the housing unit is placed into the cavity, c.operatively connecting at least one motion member to motor such that themotor can manipulate the motion member when the motor is on, d. securingthe housing unit to a support base such that the motor is operativelysecured to the support base so as to damper the vibratory effect causedby the motor when the motor is on, and e. turning on the motor so as tomanipulate the motion member.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein thedecoy body is deformed to allow the housing unit to be placed at leastpartially into the cavity and then released back into its natural statesuch that the decoy body connects to the housing unit, and wherein themotion member is connected to the motor through the decoy body and thehousing unit.